Come To Your Senses
by GreenFairy331
Summary: When Draco loses his temper with Hermione on the Astronomy Tower, with Ron at her side, will she be able to decide what are lies, what is truth, and who is telling which?
1. Come to Your Senses Ch 1

**Chapter 1... **

"Hermione, come on, I've told you how I feel, you've told me how you feel, so what's wrong?" Sneered Draco. His lip curled in frustration as he looked at the back of Hermione's robes. He moved in closer and raised his hand to her curly hair and inhaled the scent.

Hermione looked down off of the Astronomy tower, her hands in fists down at her sides. She felt the uncomfortable warmth and weight of his body on her back. The cold February wind blew lightly on her tear-streaked face. She felt Draco's hand on her left shoulder and she cringed. _I want to stop this right now_, she thought to herself. "Draco, I don't know what else to say to you." She whirled around forcing his hands off of her shoulder. "I don't want to be doing this anymore. It's not you, it is me." _Yeah, right, it's me. I can't even stand to be in the same room alone with you_, she said to herself, _not anymore_.  
"Well, why are you just telling me this now? Why now? What exactly did I do to deserve this attitude from you all of a sudden?" Draco's pale face was now turning a bright red with anger.  
"I'm not giving you any attitude, Draco. Would you rather me stay with you and be miserable, or not be with you and let us both be happy?" Hermione said hesitantly. She knew his temper. She knew what he would do would she make him angry enough.  
"I would rather not be made a fool of! And who says I would be happy without you?! I went out on a limb for you! My father nearly disowned me for even associating with you, you dirty mudblood!" Hermione winced at the name that had been almost unknown to her for quite some time. "I loved you! You are the first person I've ever really loved! Now you just expect me to let you just walk away from all of this and send me crawling back to him saying, 'Oh, father, you were right! She was nothing but a mudblood slut who is good for nothing and I'm glad you saw it before I did!' I don't think so, _Granger_! I'm not letting you make me look like some asshole just because you want to go off and be someone else's slut!"  
  
Hermione looked down at her shoes and thought back to the ride home on the Hogwarts Express after their 6th year. She sat in the Head boy/Head girl car alone with Malfoy and did nothing but occasionally throw a dirty look at him for nearly two hours before he began to press her about her relationship with Ron.  
"Its none of your business Malfoy!" She snapped at him.  
"Well, I just figured I'd ask, because if you want...I'll help you forget him." Draco gave her one of his flirty smiles that he was famous for. Hermione's heart skipped a beat and she looked at him like he'd gone insane. "You are very beautiful, Granger, I don't understand why you would waste your time on someone like Weasley. Or maybe, it's Potter you fancy, and you are only using Weasley to get to him." Draco smirked, knowing that he had come onto a touchy subject when Hermione audibly sucked in a large amount of air.  
"That is so untrue! Don't **even** accuse me of that Malfoy!" Hermione screamed, her face turning red from both anger and embarrassment. _Had he really called her beautiful just now? Was the elusive Draco Malfoy hitting on her?  
_  
Hermione was snapped back into reality when she felt his hand on the back of hers. Draco laced their fingers together and met her teary eyes with his own. She gazed briefly, but quickly averted them to the ground below.  
"Oh 'Mione, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. You know I don't mean it when I say things like that. Please forgive me, I'm so sorry." He pulled her into his embrace and gently forced her head onto his shoulder. Still, somehow, she felt safe in his arms. Even after what had happened; after what he'd done to her. She knew that things could never be the same between them. She didn't want them to be. She didn't want to be with him anymore. The same fear that surged through her 20 minutes earlier had made its second appearance of the evening. What could she say next?  
He inhaled the smell of her hair once more before she pulled away and walked to the ledge of the tower. Placing her hands on the cool, stone handrail, she looked down into the near-darkness and saw Ron and Harry by the lake, talking. Over the past five and a half months, that is how it had been: Harry and Ron. Not Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Draco had consumed her life; had become her everything. Her eyes zeroed in on Ron. This had been the first summer since their first year at Hogwarts she hadn't spent at least a portion of it with Ron. Just sitting up at night at the Burrow, talking about anything and everything. Over the summer, Ron had really turned into one of those wizards you have to do a double take with. Of course, he had always been cute, but this summer, due to Quidditch training no doubt, his shoulders had broadened, his chest was more muscular, along with his arms. Hermione let her eyes stretch across the length of his body for the first time in five and a half months. While dating Draco, she would have never even thought of looking at another guy with interest. She squinted her eyes a bit and saw Ron mouth something and walk slowly away from Harry.  
Her mind wandered once again to the Hogwarts Express train ride.  
"Come on Hermione, I know you've always checked me out. I know you've always wondered what it would be like to be with _Draco Malfoy, the best looking wizard at Hogwarts_." Draco puffed out his chest and tried to sound like he was poking fun at the title, but Hermione could sense it in his voice that he was being sincere. It was true, she had thought of him as the best looking wizard at Hogwarts, as did every other girl, but she couldn't admit that to him, not after what a jerk he'd always been to her.  
"Come off it Malfoy, I don't want to hear this from you." Her cheeks were now feverishly red with embarrassment.  
"Can't you call me Draco?" He said quietly as he inched closer to Hermione's face, his gray eyes looking more and more intense with every movement.  
"What? Why? I've never called you..._Draco_..." His name dripped quietly from her mouth as though it had not been there at all. She felt his hand graze her cheek and she shuddered. He moved slowly inward, "Well, I think it's about time you did." Hermione felt his breath on her lips and inhaled sharply.

Quickly, Hermione turned away, but Draco grabbed her chin and looked into her eyes, almost searching for permission, before kissing her gently on the mouth. At first, she protested. She put her hand against his shoulder and pushed him away gently. Draco raised his hand to hers and laced their fingers together, causing Hermione to relax. He moved over next to her without breaking the kiss and delicately nudged her backward so that she was lying on the seat. He moved on top of her with his hands on either side of her head, stroking her hair. He lightly dropped himself on top of her and intensified the kiss. Their tongues intertwined as her hands roamed his chest and back. Hermione's stomach began to do flip-flops as she hungrily bit at his lower lip. It felt as if the cart was spinning and there was nothing in the world but Draco and his lips, only him.

Hermione regained her senses and broke the kiss. She looked up at his eyes, breathlessly. "What's wrong?" He looked irritated.

"Mal...Draco, we are Head Boy and Girl! We can't snog on the Hogwarts Train!" Hermione said feverishly. She sat up, forcing him off of her, and fixed her mussed hair. Draco looked forward, staring blankly, and slowly switched his glace toward Hermione and smirked.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to pretend we are somewhere else, won't we?" He said coyly and raised an eyebrow. He pounced back on top of her and planted another kiss on her mouth. She let herself go in his kiss and caressed his soft hair. He let his tongue caress her top lip. She shivered lightly and Draco snickered. He moved his hand from her face down to her waist. He slowly made to untuck her shirt without her noticing. He groaned and switched positions, with her now on top, making it easier for him to untuck her blouse. Hermione's head was whirling with the sensation of Draco's lips on hers; she couldn't get close enough to him. She felt his cold hand on her bare stomach and broke the kiss abruptly. She looked at him surprised and sat up while still straddling him.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Hermione said with a smirk good enough to rival Malfoy's own. This made him laugh.

"Oh dear, sweet, innocent Hermione Granger." He sat up so his face was only centimeters away from hers. "I'm just showing you the attention you deserve," he said with a look of pure innocence.

"Oh, innocent huh? I'll show you innocent!" Hermione growled and pinned Malfoy down on the seat with his arms above his head. "Don't move them." She said seriously. Draco did as he was told, but kept his smirk on his face.

Hermione lowered herself to just above Draco's face and moved her lips as though she was going to kiss him. She hovered there and breathed lightly onto his lips, never touching them. She stuck out her tongue and nearly licked Draco's bottom lip, though never making contact. His own tongue snaked out to try and touch hers in vain. Malfoy moaned inwardly. "So...you're a tease are you?" he groaned.

"That's right. A tease." Hermione giggled and grabbed a hold of his shirt collar. She drew him up and captured his lips in a kiss so intense, it would make ice melt. Their tongues tasted and explored each other's mouths. She lifted her head to look at him. Her hand caressed his side as her eyes studied him. He lifted one of his hands from above his head and put it behind her neck. She quickly grabbed it and threw it back down onto the seat. "I said not to move." She said with a smile. She kissed his chin and worked her way down to the crook of his neck. She licked a sucked and heard his breath quicken. No doubt, his smirk was gone now. She moved her mouth to the first button on his shirt and undid it with her teeth and "accidentally" allowed her tongue to slip off of the button to his skin. And the second, and the third...all the way down to the last. Draco's breath caught in his mouth as he felt Hermione's tongue dip in and out of his naval. She kissed up his torso, admiring his beautiful porcelain skin, because for all she knew, this could very well be the last time she would be seeing this much if it. She went to his nipple and enclosed her mouth around it as she licked and nipped.

Draco couldn't stand it anymore. He let out a growl and pulled Hermione back up to his lips and kissed her even more hungrily than before. He wanted her. He wanted her now. Hermione tensed at this and he could tell she was a little scared at this new roughness. He slowed to gentle, soft, fluttering kisses. Hermione's eyes partly opened, heavy with lust. His face, his beautiful face, was all that was in view. Her heart hammered in her throat as his eyes fluttered open. His gorgeous gray eyes, full of desire...desire for her. Gently, he broke the kiss, stood them both up, and led her to the floor. She lay down, with him lying at her side.

"Draco, I..." She began. "Shh...don't say anything." He spoke with such gentility that he surprised himself. His hand reached to cup her neck behind her hair. "Hermione, you are beautiful." His tone made it sound like he had just realized this. Their lips touched again, the kiss soft and undemanding, warm and comforting to both of them. Lips teased until the dizziness began to creep up to her and she parted her lips to draw breath. Her caught her lower lip in his, is tongue sweeping across it, so as to imitate her earlier action. He felt her smile into the kiss and he squeezed the back of her neck gently. She melted into Draco like butter and his strong arms enclosed around her as she rolled back on top of him, lips never parting.

Just then, Hermione heard footsteps near their car. She was too absorbed in Draco to care and simply ignored it. She heard the door slide open, thinking it would just be a prefect coming and doing rounds for the first through fourth years, and heard the person's voice say, "Hey, Herm, when we get back, do you..." Hermione recognized the voice and one and sat up in a hurry to look straight into the face of Ron.

"What...um, sorry guys. I...um...sorry." And he slammed the door and scampered back down the corridor noisily. Hermione looked at Draco with a look of regret and pleading. He returned her look with a smirk.

"Ahem...well, _Granger_, I guess we should get dressed. We'll be there soon. You go first, I'll watch."


	2. Come to Your Senses Ch 2

**Chapter 2...  
**  
Once again, at the touch of Malfoy, Hermione was brought back into reality. He wrapped his long, muscular arms around her waist and pulled her close. Feeling uncomfortable yet again, she nudged him off and walked a few feet to put distance between them before turning to look at him.

"Draco, it's over. I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you in anyway, but I just don't feel comfortable with you anymore. It's like, I can't trust you like I can trust Ron. I mean...." She had definitely said the wrong thing there. She saw his nostrils flare and his eyes grow wide and knew she had to say something fast. "I mean, I didn't mean that. I can trust you so much more than I can trust Ron. I mean, _this has nothing to do with Ron_."

"I knew it! You've been sneaking around with Weasley behind my back! I knew this day would come.... I was just waiting for you to admit it, because, being as stupid as you are, you would. I knew it! I can't believe you, you filthy mudblood! Why would you screw around on me?! I've never denied you anything!" Draco exploded.

"No, honey, I didn't mean it. Ron's name just slipped out. I would never compare him to you; he could never match up to you, ever. Forget I ever said anything about it." She said quickly.

"Oh, I'll forget it. But only after I get what I want." She saw a glint in his eye. The same glint as the night he did had...That Night....

"No, baby, please. I'm so sorry. I was stupid, forget I ever said anything. It's you that I love, not Ron! Never Ron!" Malfoy ignored her plea and tackled her from behind, turning her over and pinned her hands above her head. She was scared...Draco wasn't like this.

_Please, God, no...don't let him do this to me. Please, make it stop. Please, someone help me._

Hermione thought to herself. In his eyes, there was a look of absolute rage and satisfaction in what he was doing she'd never seen him wear.

As she squirmed underneath him, he lowered all of his body weight onto her to steady her and cupped his hand over her mouth. He ripped open her shirt, causing all of the buttons to pop off. She tried to cover herself up, but he was too strong and kept her arms above her head. She felt him tug at her skirt and she bit his hand. He took his hand away from her mouth and she screamed. Her cries turned into groans as Malfoy's fist collided with her stomach. The heat rose from her abdomen up through her mouth. She wailed in pain and squirmed more animatedly; causing Malfoy to knee her right here he had just punched her. She felt his knee jut in and out of her lower abdomen and blood began to fill her mouth. She cried loudly as Malfoy moved up to her hair and preceded to stand up and drag her to a nearby corner by it. She tried to stand but the pain was too great and her knees were becoming weak.

"This'll teach you never to screw around on me again!" Draco yelled erratically.

"Draco, please no!" Hermione yelped but choked on the blood now floating freely out of her mouth. She coughed and some of the blood from her mouth flew onto Draco's face. Draco stood up, wiped off the blood, looked down at a bruised Hermione and laughed a hideous laugh that rang into the night. He bent down right next to her ear.

"I wouldn't do you now if you paid me." He whispered maliciously.

He kicked her with all of his might in the chest before laughing again and walking toward the door to the stairs. Hermione moved one of her hands to her face and wailed. Before he reached the door, he heard a voice say, "Alohomora!" and it slammed open. Hermione used the rest of her strength to roll herself over so she could see the door. A tall, blurry figure looked toward her, paused for a second, looked toward Malfoy, and pounced on him. Hermione's eyes involuntarily closed as she heard the fierce screams of Draco and the anger of another person whose voice she knew shouldn't...no, couldn't have been there. She tried thinking about why he would be there, and then the voices finally died out.


	3. Come to Your Senses Ch 3

**Chapter 3...**

After what felt like only minutes, Hermione began to hear what was going on around her. Her eyelids fluttered before finally opening. She looked around to find herself in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Ron was sitting in a chair next to bed her hunched over with his face in his hands. She smiled slightly and felt the happiness grow slightly through her as she stared at him. She tried to say ask him why he looked so sad, but she could only muster up a little groan. Ron's head shot up out of his hands and he looked at her with a tear-streaked face. She looked surprised at his tears. He looked at her with huge eyes and a giant grin creeping upon his face.

"Hermione! You're awake! Madame Pomfrey! Come quick! Hermione's awake!" Ron shouted with glee and relief.

Madame Pomfrey quickly waddled over to Hermione's bed, looked at her and smiled. "Oh my goodness! My dear, we thought we'd lost you! Poor Ron here has been sitting with you all night and all morning convinced you would wake up any second. Oh, bless my soul, I must go get the headmaster!" And with that, She left the room, leaving only Hermione and a very happy looking Ron.

"Oh my gosh, Herm, do you need anything? How are you feeling? Do you want me to get you some water? What about Harry, do you want me to go get him? What about your parents? Should I call them and tell them you are awake? Herm, I'm so happy you are okay; I've been so worried about you. Madame Pomfrey said we should give up on you, but I wouldn't let them, I made them keep trying, I made them let me stay here. I told them I wouldn't leave until you are well again. So, do you want anything, anyone?" Ron said in what seemed like one breath. Hermione smiled and tried to hold up her hand to silence him, but pain shot through her and she decided it would be better not to move.

"No, Ron, I'm fine." Hermione said in a weak whisper. "Please just stay with me, I don't want anyone else here. Ron, how did you know where I was? How did you know what was happening, how did you save me?"

"Shh...that's enough right now. It was nothing. Now go back to sleep, you need rest. Don't get too excited. It was nothing." Ron said modestly.

"No, Ron, I want to know what happened or I won't go back to sleep. Tell me how you knew where we were and everything. Tell me what you did to him." Hermione begged. Her eyes met Ron's and he knew he couldn't deny her.

"Ok, fine. Well, the truth is, I was kind of eavesdropping in the Great Hall when you told Malfoy that you wanted to meet him outside of Gryffindor Tower at 7:00 and then you would walk up to the Astronomy Tower together. I noticed that you seemed kind of scared or hesitant or something. So, I told Harry I wanted to go down to sit by the lake near the Astronomy Tower for a little while and talk.

"So, we got down there at like 6:30, and I could just feel that something was wrong, that something was going to happen. We sat and talked for a while about...well, it's not important about what we talked about, when I saw you on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower. You looked really lost in thought and I looked right at you and you didn't even acknowledge me. Then I saw Malfoy come up and hold your hand and you hugged him, so I just figured you guys were going to...do whatever it is that you do every time you go up there." At this, Ron averted his attention back to the floor.

"I told Harry I wanted to walk back alone and that I was going to bed. When I got inside and headed for the common room, I felt like I'd been hit really hard...I mean, I got this really sick feeling, but it seemed like...a far away feeling. Anyway, I just kind of figured that my hunch had been right and that Malfoy was going to...you know? I ran up to the Astronomy Tower and heard you screaming and the door was locked, so I unlocked it, and I saw you lying there, and I don't know what happened after that, I just remember jumping on Malfoy and then nothing. I do remember picking you up and thinking you had choked on all the blood in your mouth, so I sprinted with you in my arms to the hospital wing and we've been here ever since."

As Ron finished his story, Hermione noticed for the first time that Ron's face was bruised almost as badly as her own. "We've been here? You mean you haven't...Oh my gosh Ron! Did Pomfrey check your face out? Are you okay? Oh my gosh, this has been so awful for you!"

"Hermione, don't worry about me, I'm fine." As he said this, he extended his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. She winced and his hand shot back down into his lap. "It's you Pomfrey needs to worry about, and you don't need to worry about anyone." He looked into Hermione's eyes with the look of utmost care and adoration. Why had she not noticed it before? He'd given her that look a thousand times.

"Ron, I-" Hermione started. He put his finger gently to her lips to silence her.

"Sleep now. Talk later. I'll be right here when you wake up. Then you can tell me everything that happened between the two of you." Ron assured her with the brotherly look she had come to know and love from him.

"Wait, where is Draco? You didn't...oh Ron, you didn't--"Hermione stuttered.

"No, no, I didn't. Snape went up to get him after I refused to leave you. He wasn't hurt as badly as you were; I only roughed him up enough to let me get you out of there. He's in his dorm. I didn't know if you would want me to tell anyone who did this to you, so I just said I thought I someone leave the tower and I found both you and Malfoy all roughed up."

"Thank you so much Ron...I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Hermione began to tear up again.

"Hey," he wiped the tear from her cheek, "no more crying. Besides, you are my best friend. What are friends for?" His smile lessened a little at this.

"Oh, right, best friends...Yeah. Do you promise to stay with me?" She looked at him with a look of disappointment and pleading.

"You know I will." He gave her one last smile before kissing her lightly on the forehead. She closed her eyes and fell asleep in seconds.


	4. Come to Your Senses Ch 4

**Chapter 4...**  
  
Ron stayed with Hermione nearly the whole time she was in the hospital wing and only left to shower once. Teachers excused him from lessons for the special circumstances and Harry visited anytime he wasn't busy with class, homework, or Quidditch.

It was just like old times, Ron and Hermione, best friends again.

Two days before Hermione was going to be allowed to return to her own dorm and to classes, Ron sat in the ward playing cards and laughing with her, knowing that Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let him sleep in the hospital wing again tonight. Hermione looked out of the corner of her eye and saw pale skin and blonde hair walking toward her. She gasped involuntarily, but pretended not to see him. Ron, still being very protective of her, jumped to her side when she gasped to make sure she was okay.

"No I'm fine. It's nothing." Ron eyed her suspiciously and sat back down. Just then, he felt a cold, pointy finger tap him on the shoulder. Hermione, who could only see the back of Ron's head, could see his ears get instantly red. He eyed Draco with a look of fury.

"Why are you here, Malfoy?" Ron spoke through pursed lips.

"What? I can't come and see my injured girlfriend in the hospital wing? I think it's time for you to leave, Weasley. I want to be alone with Hermione. Go and make yourself useful and fetch me some water." Ron's face was red with rage and he looked at Hermione for what to say. She shook her head with a look of abject terror frozen on her face. _Please Ron, don't leave me with him_, she thought to herself. As though he had heard what she had thought, he nodded his head and said to Malfoy, "You will never be alone with her **again**! I can't believe you have a nerve to come back here and call her your girlfriend! She doesn't want you anymore! She wants...she...you almost killed her Malfoy! And the only reason you aren't on your way back home is because you are head boy and I didn't tell what I saw! I have the power to get you expelled, Malfoy, I have the power now! So don't come near her, don't talk to her, and don't you dare call her your girlfriend!" Ron exploded.

"Oh, why not Weasley? You think she wants you now? Why would she choose a poor, ugly, piece of garbage like you when she could have me? Weasley, I definitely think you are aiming a bit too high. Hermione will never want you, so quit dreaming." Malfoy shot back.  
"I...I didn't say she'd want me. I don't think of her like that Malfoy; she's my best friend! And there is no way she's going back with you now!" Ron retorted. Hermione's face fell at the sound of this. He doesn't think of me like that? Okay... well, I guess I never really thought of him like that either... We are best friends, nothing more... Nothing more. Tears involuntarily began to fill her eyes again.  
"Okay, fine Weasley, I'll leave now. But be careful what you say to me, you may have the power over my expulsion, but I think you forget who exactly is a frequent visitor at Malfoy Mansion. Do you think he'd ever turn down a person to kill? No, so watch what you say because compared to the power I have, you have nothing." Malfoy raised his eyebrows at the last word and he stomped out of the ward. Ron geared his eyes toward Hermione and they met with an understanding stare.


	5. Come to Your Senses Ch 5

**Chapter 5... **

"Harry, I don't know what to do. What do I say? I mean, I know she doesn't return anything I feel, I know it. This is the first time I've been away from her in a week and a half. I was with her day and night for 10 days, and being away from her tonight, I don't know if I can handle it. I hate Madame Pomfrey for making me leave. What if Malfoy goes back tonight? What if he tries hurting her again?" Ron vented to Harry as they sat in the empty Gryffindor common room.  
"Ron, how do you know she doesn't feel the same, you don't know what she is feeling." Harry tried to ease his friend's pain by place a hand on his shoulder.  
"That's just it, I **do** know what she is feeling. It's real weird Harry. You know the night Malfoy beat her up? The only reason that he didn't kill her is because I felt that she was hurting. I know what she is thinking sometimes, and I know what she is feeling. If she hurts, I feel it, physically or emotionally. Remember when her Aunt died when she was home for Christmas break and I said we should send an owl to her the day before we found out? It's because I felt her. I could feel her crying, and it hurts me just as bad as it hurts her." Ron explained as he broke down and began to cry. "I can't stand just being friends, Harry, I need to be with her. I could barely survive without her this summer. You saw me...I stopped eating, I stopped sleeping, I could barely get out of bed. This year has been torture because she's been with Malfoy and I haven't seen her. Anytime I saw her in the hall, my heart would ache and I could barely keep from crying." Harry look at Ron with an astonished look. _He can feel her? Can she feel him then? Does she already know he loves her?_ Harry thought to himself.  
"Ron, I don't understand this. If you can feel what she feels, then how DOES she feel about you?" Harry asked, perplexed.  
"That's one thing I don't get from her. I know she loves me like a brother, just because she does, you know? But I could feel the way she felt for Malfoy, I could feel that she feared and adored him, both at the same time. I figure, if she had anything stronger than friendship for me, I could feel it. But I felt nothing." Ron's head fell into his hands and he sobbed quietly.  
"Ron, you won't know for sure unless you ask her. I think you should tell her how you feel, that is, unless she already knows." Harry suggested.  
"Already knows? But how could...? Harry, you haven't told her what I've been telling you all these years!?" Ron was confused.  
"No, no. Well, you can feel her, who's to say she can't feel you too?" Harry uttered quietly. "Feel me too?! I never thought of that. Well, maybe...Alright, I'll do it. Tomorrow, when I go see her in the morning." Ron decided. He could feel the stress weighted on his heart. _What if she feels nothing...I can't be without her_.


	6. Come to Your Senses Ch 6

**Chapter 6...**  
  
Ron sat in the common room silently with Harry until Harry decided he was too tired.

"Ron, I'm headin' up...coming?" Ron looked up at Harry with heavy eyes before shaking his head. "All right then...go to bed soon though. Don't stay up all night over this. G'night."

"Night Harry." Ron yawned as he looked back toward the fire. What can I say to her? He asked himself. "Hey Hermione, I can feel all of your emotions, wanna go to the movies with me? Yeah right." He lowered his head to think of how pathetic and unbelievable he would sound. His eyes began to burn more violently from looking at the fire when finally, his eyelids shut.  
  
He was back in the hospital ward, sitting in that chair that had become his bed for the past two weeks. He was watching Hermione sleep. Her hair was tied up in a black ribbon and her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes twitched and she groaned before her eyes opened to look at Ron. She still looked half asleep.

"Oh my gosh Ron, thank God you're here! I just had the most awful dream! You were taken away from me, taken by Voldemort and he wouldn't let me say goodbye to you! He wouldn't let me and I was crying and you were yelling for me and I couldn't help you! But then he used the Cruciatus Curse on you and I could feel it, I could feel how badly you were hurting! And I tried to help you, I tried so hard, but I couldn't! I'm sorry Ron! I tried so hard!" Ron had stood up from his chair and sat on her bed to comfort her and he wrapped his arms around her. She collapsed in his embrace and sobbed.

"Shh...Hermione, it was a dream, it wasn't real, I'm here now, I won't leave you." Ron coaxed her.

"Please Ron, don't leave me; never leave me again." Hermione wept into his sweater.

"I never left you in the first place, and I won't ever...I promise." Ron looked down at her bushy hair and kissed the top of her head. Hermione looked up at him with watery eyes, as if suddenly seeing him in a whole new way. Their eyes fixed on one another's as they slowly moved closer and closer to each other....  
  
Ron's eyes snapped open and he looked around the empty common room... and his heart sank.


	7. Come to Your Senses Ch 7

**Chapter 7...**  
  
Ron awoke in the morning before anyone else in the dormitory. He saw the sun's pale beams begin to fall on the floor and the morning chill crept in through the windows. He would tell her today. There was no getting around it.

When he finally realized he wouldn't be going back to sleep, he got out of bed, got dressed silently, and left the dormitory for the common room.

No one was in the common room when he got down there. He checked his watch, "6:45am on a Saturday. No wonder." He shoved his hands in his pockets and exited the common room.

The halls were completely empty, devoid of all students, teachers, even Peeves wasn't up and about yet. Ron knew he would tell Hermione today...just not at 6:45 in the morning. He decided to walk the halls until 7:30. Then he would go to the hospital wing. Then he would tell her. Make that 8:00. At 8:00, he would definitely tell her; or maybe 8:30.

_No_, Ron said to himself, _at 7:30, I will go. Even if I have to wake her up_. Ron looked at his watch again. 6:50. 40 minutes to go.

He walked past the Slytherin dormitories and seriously contemplating trying to get in and strangle Malfoy. No doubt their password would be something like 'Die, mudbloods, die' or something of the sort. How could Malfoy treat her this way? The most wonderful girl in the whole world, and Malfoy abused her and treated her like dirt. He would never treat her that way. He would be so good to her that she would never think of leaving him.

_What am I doing...I need to tell her now_. Ron broke into a run down the hall toward the hospital wing. By the time he reached the doors, he was much less sure of himself. He checked his watch. 7:05. "Close enough," he said to himself. He expected Hermione to still be the only person in the hospital wing, just like she was the whole time he was allowed to stay with her. He expected her to still be sleeping. He expected to gently shake her awake, engage in small talk for about 10 seconds, and then tell her what it was that is so important that he needed to wake her up at 7:05 in the morning on a Saturday.

But Hermione wasn't asleep...or alone.

Ron quietly opened the doors, and peeked inside. The sight he saw was enough to make him fall over from shock: Hermione...and _Draco_...embracing. She was crying and he was whispering something in her ear that looked suspiciously like, "I'm so sorry" over and over and over. Ron realized that he had stopped breathing and exhaled loudly. Hermione looked toward the doors.

They were swinging slightly at the hinges, but no one was to be seen.

"Draco, you'd better leave. If Pomfrey sees you in here..." Hermione warned Draco as he kissed her fingers, one by one.

"_But if thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."_ Draco looked up at her and gently kissed her hand.

"Draco...I love it when you quote Shakespeare...you really are too good to me." Hermione said in a swoony voice. "I have missed you so much Draco." She said and pulled him up to her and embraced him again. She felt safe once more in his arms, like a child with its father. She kissed him softly. He didn't need any more convincing and he deepened the kiss, pressing hardly on her lips, which were still very bruised. She gave a small yelp of pain and he quickly back away.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Hermione! I can't believe I have done this to do. Even under the Imperius Curse, who would want to hurt such an angelic being as yourself?"

Ron, who had crept in and was hiding behind one of the other beds, overheard this and nearly shot up in rage. _**THE IMPERIUS CURSE?! Why you lying sack of--**_

"But I forgive you Draco. I don't blame you at all. It was your father's fault, not yours. He had you under the curse. I still can't believe he would use you to hurt me. Even after you told him how in love we are." Hermione met Draco's eyes and rubbed his earlobe between her thumb and index finger...something she knew he loved. Draco closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation Hermione was giving him. He purred slightly before taking her hand from his ear and kissing it.

_ She's eating up this entire lie? Hermione is too smart to fall for this._ Ron could feel his ears were red with fury. Just then, Ron felt a lurch and flutter in his stomach, something not entirely known to him, like it wasn't his own feeling, but someone else's. _Oh no_, Ron cried to himself, tears beginning to appear at the corners of his eyes, _She loves him_. _She really does love him_. Ron buried his face in his hands and sobbed quietly to himself.

He didn't dare listen to another thing that was said between the couple, and he slowly crawled out of the hospital ward, leaving all of his hopes for him being with Hermione there, never to feel hope for it again.


	8. Come to Your Senses Ch 8

**Chapter 8...**  
  
When Hermione was released from the hospital ward that day, she was on cloud nine. She had gotten the Draco back that she loved. Her Draco. The boy who'd surprised her on her birthday by sprinkling her bedroom with yellow rose petals. The boy who'd made her believe that she was more than just a brain; that she was beautiful. The boy whose father threatened death upon him for even associating with her. The boy who made sure that their first date was perfect. And also her made sure her first time was perfect.

She sat in Charms with a grin on her face and her hand under her chin, staring off into space. Hermione was not one to not pay attention in class, especially after being gone for so long, but she let her mind drift back to their first date...their first public appearance together as a couple...

Draco had asked her to meet him in front of the painting with the fruit by the entrance to the kitchen on Saturday morning. She had woken up hours earlier to get herself ready, even if it was just going to Hogsmeade for the day. It was with Draco, and for Draco, she wanted to look beautiful. This would be the first time they would be seen together, in public, after seeing each other privately for nearly 2 months. She looked out of her Head Girl room to watch for Harry or Ron, just like always when she was going to meet Draco. Though the common room was filled to the brim with other students, some sitting and studying, others also getting ready to go to Hogsmeade, no sign of either of her two friends. Hermione walked briskly past her fellow Gryffindors and tried not to draw attention to herself. She was almost to the door now. Almost...almost.

"Hermione! Wait up!" a girl yelled from behind her.

_Oh no Ginny, not now._

"Hey. So, all ready for Hogsmeade today?" Ginny continued. "I am really in need of some butterbeer personally. Want to come with me? Dean's coming too, I think it's kind of a date, but I really don't know. After we broke up last year, I don't really understand him." Ginny went on like this for about a minute before Hermione stopped her.

"Gin, um, I really need to get up to the Owlry. My mum's got the flu, I was just about to send her a get well card." Hermione looked down at the floor. She was a terrible liar.

"Oh...the flu, huh? Well, um, it's going around...I guess." Hermione smiled. Ginny was so much like Ron. "Well, feel free to join us at the Hog's Head later if you want. I'll be the one standing up shouting at Dean trying to convince him not to drink fire whiskey." Ginny looked suspicious, but walked back toward one of her other friends in the middle of the common room.

"Okay Hermione, don't panic. It's only a boy. He probably doesn't even really like me. I bet you he's just doing this to make fun of me or something." At this, Hermione had realized that she had been talking out loud. But a new thought struck her. Was Draco just trying to embarrass her or use her, like he does every other girl he's ever been with? She stopped in her tracks. _Should I go?_

She thought about what Ron would tell her to do. _Just go for it. What's the worst that could happen?_ But then she laughed at herself for even thinking that Ron would encourage her to go out in public with Malfoy. Ron didn't even know that she had been seeing Draco for the past two months, and she wanted to keep it that way...until now.

"Awe, what the heck." Hermione said out loud and began to walk briskly again to the painting where they would meet.

As she walked, she decided that if Draco was there, if he was alone, then she would go with him and not think twice about it. If he had either stood her up or had his stupid cronies with him, she would turn and walk away (and spend all day in her room crying.)

She stopped before she rounded the corner to the painting. If this was a real date, then it would be her first real date...ever. All the other times she was with him didn't count, snogging in closets and sneaking around in each other's rooms trying not to get caught. Of course, she couldn't tell him that, even Ginny would make fun of her if she had known that Hermione had never been on a real date. She smoothed her hair, took a deep breath, and peeked around the corner.

Draco was there. He was alone. He was pacing like mad. Hermione grinned. _He's nervous...why would he get nervous over me?_ His nose and cheeks were red and he looked like he'd already been outside walking in the cold. She walked around the corner and toward Malfoy. He heard the click of her shoes and looked up. He smiled...not smirked, but genuinely smiled.

"Hi." He said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. _How strange, she thought, to see Draco Malfoy so...not put together._ "I, um...I got this for you." He pulled out a single yellow rose from behind his back. Hermione's eyes lit up and she beamed. When Draco saw this, he relaxed a bit and smiled. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? Roses are my favorite!" Hermione took the flower from his hand and sniffed it lightly. _Well, it's definitely a date. Time to go in for the kill._

"Yeah, I know...I asked around." He looked very excited that if a flower could make Hermione this happy...she would be ecstatic later.

"That's really sweet of you. Could you put it in my hair for me?" She asked as she walked and rubbed up against him. She smiled at his reaction to this; he closed his eyes and bit his lip. He slowly opened them again and took the flower into his hand.

"Of course. It'll look beautiful." Draco stood closely behind her. He ripped off the long part of the stem and attached it to one of her hairpins. He inhaled the scent of her hair and felt a little weak in the knees. Why was this happening to him...over Granger?

"Did you try to leave without me?" Hermione joked. "You look like you've already been to and from Hogsmeade." After he fixed the rose steadily in her hair, his arms encircled her from behind.

"Rosebud..." this nickname had new significance now, "I want today to be really special. This might sound weird coming from me...but I sincerely have feelings for you. And not just as someone to go and snog every so often. I want today to be just you and me. I've got everything already planned. You'll love it." Draco breathed softly in her ear. Hermione felt her stomach flip, but felt an awkward feeling of worry...like a feeling that she couldn't find someone she was searching desperately for, but it was almost like the feeling shouldn't be there, like it wasn't her own. She brushed it aside and closed her eyes.

She turned to face Draco, still wrapped in his arms. He raised a hand to her cheek and caressed her skin. Hermione grabbed his hand and began to kiss his fingers, one by one. She lifted her eyes to look at him and she saw a look of absolute adoration on his face. She smiled and lowered his hand and led him out toward the Hogwarts exit.

As they entered Hogsmeade, Hermione linked her arms through Draco's and they walked in the bitter cold. Though only early November, a light frost was apparent on the grass and tiny snowflakes were occasionally fluttering down from the bright sky. Hermione kept stealing glances out of the corner of her eye at Draco, but every time she would look, he would be looking her way, and they would laugh at each other. Just then, in the middle of the road, Draco stopped and pulled her into and alley beside one of the buildings.

"Draco, what are you—"Hermione began, but was cut off by Draco's finger at her lips, silencing her. He looked at her for a second, grinned and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"I'm so happy." He said, surprised at the words coming from his mouth. "See, there it goes again! It just seems like when I'm with you, I don't think about the things I say, I just say them...it's like I don't have to worry about sounding stupid or anything."

Hermione smiled at this and wrapped her arms around him. She let her fingernails slide on the back of his neck and he bent slightly to kiss her gently on the mouth. Draco began to tickle her ribs and pinned her harder to the brick wall behind her. She smiled into the kiss and tried not to give in to the laughter. She moved her hands to his stomach and began to tickle him there. He smiled and broke the kiss, "You'll find Hermione, that I am not ticklish. So, I am always the winner of this game." He winked at her.

"Well then, Draco dearest, I vow here and now, to find your ticklish spot. Everyone has at least one. I read it in—" Draco cut her off once again, but this time, with his lips against hers. He parted the kiss and whispered in her ear.

"Let's not talk about school at all today...it's just about me and you."

Hermione shivered at the sound of his voice and nodded into his neck. He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes with a sigh. "Okay, ready to go into the lion's den?" Draco motioned with his eyes to the now crowded streets of Hogsmeade. Hermione saw Ginny and Dean walk past their tiny alleyway and found that she involuntarily tried to hide. She caught herself and looked up at Draco.

"I'm sorry..."

"Are you sure you're ready? I don't mind if you just want to go back to the school...we can just sit and talk in my room if you want."

"No, I...I want to. This day is about us, not about anyone else." Draco smiled widely and offered his arm to her. She linked around it and they walked with false confidence into the street. They walked right in front of the very person she hoped to avoid throughout the day.

"Hey Hermione! We tried to find you earlier, thought you were coming in with us...**WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH _HIM_!?"** Ron roared and made Hermione jump.

"Hey Ron, Hi Harry. Um, obviously Ron, I'm with _Draco_."

Hermione said with an accent on the last word. Why was she trying to rub it in his face?

"With _Draco_? What's all this?" Ron said with a bewildered look.

"Well, Ron, it looks like to me, that they are here together, as in on a date. How long has this been going on?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow.

"Going on? Well, it's been going on for about—"Hermione began.

"For about 2 months. One month, three weeks and 2 days to be exact." Draco answered for her. He looked out of the corner of his eye a Hermione, whose mouth was wide open. S_o, I guess our relationship does mean something to him...I thought I was the only one counting.._.she thought to herself.  
"Oh really?" said Ron, turning redder by the second. "Do you think that you can just go out with our best friend without us knowing and think it's all right? You really are thick Malfoy. You're father's a death eater! Your whole family is known for dabbling in dark arts! Why would we want Hermione around you?" Ron blew up.  
Draco opened his mouth to retort, but glanced sideways at Hermione and drew back. He looked solemnly at Ron, who in turn gawked at him wildly.  
"Oh! You think that just because you turn down one chance to argue with me that it means that you are a changed person? Yeah right, Malfoy! I know how you are. People like you _never_ change." Ron spit in Draco's face. Hermione gasped a very quiet "_Ron_!"

She took a tissue from her pocket and began to wipe off Draco's face. Draco caught her hand while it was on his cheek and stopped her for a moment. He looked deeply into her worried eyes. _Please don't start fighting...I don't want you to fight._ Draco seemed to understand and kissed the palm of her hand. She relaxed and caressed his cheek again. Hermione began to move up closer to Draco's mouth. All that was in her view were his beautiful eyes. Those gray eyes that she would live and die for. She stopped so close that air could barely move in the space between their faces. She licked her lips slowly and then closed the gap between them. The cold around them seemed to heat up instantly as Draco deepened the kiss. He moved his hand to her neck, which caused her to shriek from the absence of warmth from his fingers. Draco smiled into the kiss and laughed throatily. Hermione slid her hands up his chest and grabbed onto his collar, drawing his down to her even further. Draco lifted her slightly and Hermione felt as though she were walking on air...

"Alright, that's enough!" Ron said, bringing both Draco and Hermione out of their own little world. They separated themselves, but their eyes stayed locked. _Wow...that was different_...Draco thought to himself. _That's never happened to me with anyone else._ Hermione could no longer stand the intensity of his gaze and pulled her eyes away from his to look at Ron, who was looking at Draco with pure loathing on his face. Harry had this hand on one of Ron's shoulders, so as to be ready to prevent him from jumping on Draco should he try. He moved his eyes quickly to Hermione. "I thought you had better sense than this..." He said, before shaking Harry's hand off his shoulder and stomping away. Harry remained.

"Um...well, congratulations you guys. Hope you'll be happy." Harry said, trying to sound cheerful. He was nearly as angry as Ron, but he knew that showing it the same way would result in nothing more than Hermione's silence toward them both. Harry waved and jogged toward Ron, who, as soon as Harry reached him broke out into a run. Harry turned back to Hermione and Draco and raised his shoulders up and down. He looked back toward Ron, shook his head, and entered the shop immediately to his right.

Draco's hand lashed out from under his robes to grab Hermione's. She looked at him with an appreciative smile. "Thank you so much. It means more than you know." She said.

"Just know, that I would only give up an opportunity to torture Weasley for you." Draco said and smiled. He raised his hand and slid some hair off her face. "Hermione...just now, when we kissed, did you feel something weird. Like a strange sort of lost feeling?" Draco asked seriously.

"Yes, I did. That why I was looking at you so awkwardly; to try to read you to see if you felt the same. Why do you suppose that happened?" Hermione said, beginning again to walk down the street.

"Hmm, I don't know. Must mean we're in love!" Draco joked. He took their linked hands and covered them both with his free one. He kissed her wrist and proceeded to walk.

All throughout the day, Hermione replayed that line in her head. _Must mean we're in love. Must mean we're in love._ Draco had taken her to a new shop in Hogsmeade, one that hadn't even opened yet. He told her that he "had connections" and led her inside "Monsieur Edward's Café." The entire place was empty except for one small round table in the center of the large room. The whole floor was covered in white candles, except for one aisle leading from the door to the table. Hermione's eyes were wide as she looked around in awe. Draco took her hand and led her down the aisle toward the table. The table was covered in white rose petals with two place settings and a bottle of Champaign in a bucket of ice. She lifted up the single rose on her place setting and fingered it gently. Draco moved behind and wrapped his arms around her. "This is all for you Hermione. No one else helped me with this...well, except for Monsieur Edward. He let me use this place when I told him about you. He's a friend of my mother's. But this is all from me, from my heart." Hermione felt her knees go weak.

"I can't believe you'd do this for me. You're so wonderful." Hermione turned to face him and kissed him lightly on the lips. She tried to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away and snickered. He went over to one of the seats, pulled out the chair, and motioned for Hermione to sit. She walked over with a huge grin on her face and sat slowly.

"Be back in a second. Gotta go and get the food!" Draco said and wiggled his eyebrows up and down. Hermione giggled. When Draco returned, he had two bowls of steaming chicken noodle soup. He put one in front of her, and sat down with his. He looked up at her. "I hope you like it...it's my grandmother's recipe, but I'm not chef. If you don't like it, it won't hurt my feelings, I promise." He said shyly. Hermione looked at him in shock.

"You cooked for me? Is that why you looked like you'd already been out this morning when I met you? You'd been up making this?" Draco nodded modestly.

"Yeah...but I'd only gotten up at 6:30, so it's alright. Plus, you haven't tasted it yet. It could be awful. "6:30 IN THE MORNING? My goodness Draco!" Hermione was very surprised that he would go to all this trouble for her. "We'll just taste it and find out what a bad chef you really are." Hermione picked up her spoon and dipped it in the broth. She lifted it close to her and blew lightly before ladling it into her mouth. It was delicious. Better than her mother's own, and that was saying something. "Draco...you say you aren't a chef, but maybe you should be one! This is fantastic!" A smile crept on Draco's lips.

"Really? You're not just being nice?"

"No! It's wonderful!" Hermione quickly sipped more and more of the soup. Draco also took a quick taste.

"Wow...not bad. I could cook more often!" He laughed at himself.

They chatted while they ate their soup. When they had finished, Draco stood and excused himself to "get something he had forgotten." Hermione eyed him with a smile and watched him walk toward the back room. Draco stopped before he went through the door. "You know, I can tell that you're checking me out." He looked over his shoulder and laughed. "Oh...erm..." Hermione stammered and turned red. Draco laughed again before animatedly jumping as he walked through the door. When he returned, he brought back a cake. A small, round, chocolate cake with white icing and blue lettering and a yellow speck of something that he had, quite obviously, done himself. He held it up quickly for her to see while standing at the door coming from the back room. He held it out of her view until he sat back down across from her. He still managed to keep the cake hidden as he raised his eyes and said to her very seriously, "Hermione, I want you to know that anything I ever write, I truly mean." With that, he sat the cake down in front of them in the center of the table. It read:

_** I LOVE YOU ROSEBUD  
  
You are my shooting star...**_  
  
Hermione was, for the first time in her life, truly at a loss for words. After reading the cake, her head shot up to look at Draco. He was looking back at her very seriously. "I mean it Hermione." He said as he reached across the table to kiss her hand.  
  
"Miss Granger...Miss Granger...MISS GRANGER!" Professor Flitwick yelled at her, breaking her daydream of her perfect Draco. She was brought back into her History of Magic lesson where she had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, Professor, what was the question again?" Hermione tried to cover.

"Miss Granger, I asked you if you were going to stay here all day, or leave with your fellow classmates? Class was dismissed over 5 minutes ago." Professor Flitwick looked at her worriedly.

"Oh, I um, I'm sorry Professor. I'm not really thinking straight today. I apologize." Hermione turned red.

"Oh, I see, Miss Granger." Professor Flitwick said with a knowing smile. "Well, I'm sure you'll be better next lesson. Perhaps by then, you will have rid your thoughts of Mr. Malfoy so you can listen to my lesson. You should really be paying closer attention, what with missing class for all of two weeks, and with your N.E.W.T.'s coming up, also."

Professor Flitwick smirked as Hermione looked quickly to the floor.


End file.
